Critical care resource disparities in China: a nationwide survey and policy recommendations for health equity
Authors' conclusion
Despite remarkable progress and optimization in ICU resource expansion, substantial gaps remain in China compared to developed countries, particularly regarding ICU bed densities and staffing ratios.
Study context
- Population
- Hospitals with a comprehensive ICU (public comprehensive, private and specialty) across 31 provinces in China, 2021–2023
- Participants
- 4,744 hospitals
- Outcome
- ICU resources: bed count and density, equipment (ventilators, ECMO, CRRT) and human resources; population-based equity
Methodological detailsnationwide survey, online survey, Data collected via the “Critical Care Medicine Resource Survey Form” on Wenjuanxing, January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023; hospitals stratified by level (tertiary A and B, secondary A and B, county-level)
- Nationwide survey
- Online survey
- Data collected via the “Critical Care Medicine Resource Survey Form” on Wenjuanxing, January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023; hospitals stratified by level (tertiary A and B, secondary A and B, county-level)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
ICU resources nationwide
- Operational ICU beds
- 83,632
- ICU beds per 100,000 population (national average)
- 5.95
- ICU physicians
- 46,137
- Physician-to-bed ratio
- 0.55:1
- ICU nurses
- 134,056
- Nurse-to-bed ratio
- 1.60:1
- Invasive ventilators
- 74,842
- Non-invasive ventilators
- 13,389
- ECMO devices
- 2,328
- CRRT machines
- 12,346
- ICU bed density range across provinces (beds per 100,000)
- 2.29 to 10.53
- Gini coefficients for ICU beds, physicians and nurses by population
- < 0.2
- Hospitals with ECMO available
- 29.2%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Change in ICU resources · 2015 to 2023
- ICU beds increase
- 80.0%
- Physicians increase
- 73.4%
- Nurses increase
- 61.5%
- ECMO devices increase
- 512.8%
Original publication
Critical care resource disparities in China: a nationwide survey and policy recommendations for health equity. Crit Care. Published 12 April 2026. doi:10.
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